Labor Day weekend is coming up, that time of year most often associated with the final farewell to summer. A time during which travelers embark on their last trips of the season, shoppers indulge in back-to-school and end-of-season sales, and retailers begin their big holiday push. This year will be different, but don’t rule out your long weekend sales.
As much selling has transitioned online rather than in-store, this incoming holiday weekend is a good opportunity to check your e-commerce capabilities before the holidays begin. Enabling a website to take online orders can be a challenge—often, a complete website makeover needs time and sometimes professional work—but if you aren’t there yet, there’s still opportunity on social media.
Instagram sales might at one time have seemed rare or unimportant, but they’re so common now, users barely bat an eye when presented with the chance to shop through their feeds. It’s quick and easy, and truly anyone can set themselves up to do it in some form or another. Here are three tips to get started before the weekend comes.
Make Sure Your Instagram Account Is Ready For Business
Once you’ve converted your account from personal to business use, if you haven’t done so already, you’ll be able to take advantage of the tools the platform offers for selling directly in-app. The conversion is easy to do from your settings, but you do need a Facebook business page to associate your account with before you can make the switch to a professional account. Doing so is free, but you then have the option to pay for advertising, if you’d like.
From there you’ll be able to create shoppable posts, allowing users to make purchases directly within the app.
If for some reason you aren’t able to convert to a business account, therefore unable to take advantage of the in-app transaction, you can still sell online. Many Instagrammers post offerings for sale and request that users send them a direct message to inquire or purchase and then perform the transaction through a payment app such as PayPal or Venmo. On the one hand, it’s asking your shoppers to take that extra step, which could make the sales process just slightly less convenient. On the other hand, you’re potentially saving some money by not having to pay Instagram for use of its services.
Share Photos of Your Product From all Angles
While jewelry sales online are rising, there’s still that experience of holding, inspecting, and trying on that sets this industry apart from some of the others. Because people can’t be in-store (or choose not to be), it’s your job to reinvent that experience online. Take pictures of every single angle of the piece you’re selling, even if it feels like overkill—your customers don’t want any surprises. And don’t forget to post photos of someone wearing the jewelry. Much like clothing, it helps to get an idea of how the piece fits, sits, and shines.
If you want to get a bit more creative with your pictures—the more “styled” a picture looks, the more attention it will get—don’t miss this mirror trick recently shared by @gemgossip’s Danielle Miele. It’s easily one of the coolest things I’ve seen in a while, and it proves that, while you may not be able to have your jewelry professionally photographed at the moment (or at least without a super-quick turnaround), there are clever ways to make your works of art stand out.
When In Doubt, Video It
Whether you opt to advertise an item for sale on your feed or via your Stories, video is one of the best ways you can go. Even in the best of photos, the life of jewelry is often not displayed to its full potential. Show off the sparkle of that diamond ring with a simple video of it on your finger while you turn in the light. Talk to your customers while wearing a pair of earrings that is for sale, animatedly telling a story or checking in while they swing from your ears. Jewelry in motion is real life, and shoppers want to see it all.
The art of the Instagram sale will endure long beyond the upcoming three-day weekend, so now is the perfect time to get your strategy in check.
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